Consequences of listening to music too loud
20 percent of adolescents have a permanent ringing in the ears for listening to loud music, and only 5 percent take preventive measures, as shown by a study conducted by the clinical audiologist of the University Hospital of Antwerp (Belgium), Annick Gilles.
It is a symptom, caused by exposure to loud noise, which is clearly related to damage to the ears. In fact, according to the expert, the people who suffer are able to hear the same volumes of sound, before damage occurs, although they have problems when it comes to identifying speech sounds to other noises.
The investigation of the permanent buzz
To carry out the research, published in the magazine 'PLoS ONE', Guilles and his colleagues interviewed 4,000 high school students who were asked to complete a questionnaire about the temporary and permanent buzz they suffered, as well as what they felt when they heard loud noises and the measures they used to protect their ears.
In this way, the experts verified that tof every four children had temporary buzzing and one in five permanent. In this sense, only 5 percent acknowledged that they had used some type of ear protection against loud noise, such as earplugs.
"The buzzing on its own can be very annoying and have dramatic effects on people. In addition, many of the adolescents who have participated in this study have also had a associated hearing loss what really exacerbates the problem of hearing, "said the expert of the Johns Hopkins Medicine University in Baltimore (United States), Josef Shargorodsky.
Negative effects of excess volume
In this sense, the pediatric audiologist at the Harvard Medical School in Boston, Brian Fligor, has pointed out that this auditory problem is usually impair sleep, concentration and the ability to relax.
Thus, specialists have pointed out the possibility that the buzzes are a warning signal about a future hearing loss. And, as Gilles has assured, currently there is no treatment for this problem, so he has advocated raise awareness about the importance of taking measures of prevention in the case where you go to concerts, festivals or spaces where music is high.
"The parents should check that their children listen to music at a reasonable volume and that protect their ears in noisy environments, since there is still no cure for hearing loss, "said Shargorodsky.
